Kudzu root and corn silk tea
Chunks of kudzu root simmered for an hour with corn silk and honey dates — lightly sweet, clearing heat and damp without being too cold, ideal when summer skin flares.
- 1 hr 10 min
- Serves 4
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Special, allergy-prone constitutions are sensitive, and sweaty, muggy summer days are when rashes and itching flare. Kudzu root clears heat, generates fluids and is traditionally used to vent rashes, corn silk drains damp, and honey dates and tangerine peel settle the stomach. Naturally sweet with no sugar needed, it suits the whole family and is gentler than iced drinks or bitter herbal teas.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 60 min- 1Peel the kudzu root and cut into 2 cm thick pieces. Rinse the corn silk; soak the tangerine peel and scrape off the pith.
- 2Put everything in a pot with the water, bring to the boil over a high heat, then simmer gently for 1 hour.
- 3Strain and drink warm or at room temperature; the kudzu pieces make a nice nibble.
Cautions
- Kudzu is cool, so drink less if your digestion is weak or your stools are loose; see a doctor if eczema is severe or persistent.
Chef's tips
- Choose starchy, less fibrous kudzu, which turns soft and edible after simmering; dry the silk from corn you cook and keep it for tea.
The TCM view
Kudzu root is sweet, pungent and cool, releasing the muscles, clearing heat, generating fluids and venting rashes — a staple of Cantonese summer soups. Corn silk is sweet, bland and neutral, draining damp and clearing heat; honey dates moisten and harmonise the middle; tangerine peel regulates qi and dries damp. Cool, heat-clearing kudzu balanced by gentle spleen support drains damp without harming healthy qi.
